Lockland School District, Village of Lockland, and Cincinnati Bell Partner on Smart City Solution

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Lockland School District and the Village of Lockland are proud to announce a partnership with Cincinnati Bell to realize a “Smart City” vision that will bring free public WiFi to the Village. The goal is to provide Internet connectivity to residents who might otherwise not have reliable access for educational, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

In partnership with the Lockland School District and the Village of Lockland, Cincinnati Bell has installed a Smart City solution with WiFi coverage that “lights up” 15 locations within the Village. These locations include 8 public hotspots and 7 apartment complexes with a high concentration of Lockland School District Students. The community may log on through a splash page at “PantherPrideFi.”

The project will address digital equity by providing free public WiFi hotspots, and provide high-speed Internet access not only to students in support of education and distance learning, but also to all residents to improve the quality of life in Lockland.

“It is so exciting to see the tremendous efforts of so many come to fruition in providing WiFi throughout the Village of Lockland. I want to thank the Lockland Local School District, along with Cincinnati Bell, for working so diligently in seeing this dream become a reality for the children and residents of our Village,” said Mark Mason Sr., Mayor, Village of Lockland.

“Our collaboration with the School District and Cincinnati Bell will provide a positive impact for many years to come to our residents, and especially to the students within the Village. The ‘lighting up’ of our Village via WiFi access will not only help in educating the children of our Village, but will also create opportunities for our residents.”

“Lockland Local School District is excited to partner with our Village leadership and Cincinnati Bell to provide much-needed WiFi throughout our community. Providing digital equity for our students and families is a district priority, because we recognize that access to high-speed Internet is no longer a privilege but instead a lifeline in the 21st century,” said Bob Longworth, Superintendent, Lockland Local School District.

“As a result of our collaboration over the last several months in an effort to bring our dream of ‘lighting up’ the village to reality, many of our students and residents will now enjoy the ability to further their education, access increased employment opportunities, and make strong connections to the world resulting in an improved quality of life.”

The Lockland School District and the Village of Lockland are the latest to partner with Cincinnati Bell on a Smart City solution. Over the past two years, Cincinnati Bell has delivered similar solutions in localities that include Covington, Middletown, Montgomery County, Dayton’s Oregon District, the City of Wyoming, and the City of Fairborn.

“Cincinnati Bell has been connecting businesses and customers for more than 140 years, and our WiFi and Smart City partnership with the Village of Lockland and Lockland School District continues this tradition,” said Jason Praeter, President and General Manager of Cincinnati Bell’s Entertainment & Communications business. “Digital Equity ultimately comes down to providing universal Internet access and opportunity through connectivity, regardless of one’s socioeconomic status. Education, jobs, and healthcare are the great equalizers in our society. As a result of this initiative, more of our friends and neighbors will have access to educational tools, job opportunities, and health-care resources.”

About Cincinnati Bell Inc.

With headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE: CBB) provides integrated communications solutions - including local and long distance voice, data, high-speed Internet and video - that keep residential and business customers in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton connected with each other and with the world. In addition, enterprise customers across the United States and Canada rely on CBTS and OnX, wholly-owned subsidiaries, for efficient, scalable office communications systems and end-to-end IT solutions. For more information, please visit www.cincinnatibell.com. The information on the Company's website is not incorporated by reference in this press release.